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There will be no more magic for the Newburyport boys basketball team.

Three nights after a last-second layup saved the Clippers' season with a two-point victory over Lynn Tech, No. 6 Newburyport's tournament run came to an end with a 71-52 loss to No. 3 Bedford.

Impossible questions.

Which of your children is your favorite?

To which sibling do you feel closest?

Which parent do you like better | your mother or father? Some questions don't merit answers.

The Newburyport boys basketball team seems to be well aware that state tournament season has arrived.

Newburyport scored what may prove to be the most exciting victory of the winter season on Evening No. 1 of EMass. State Tournament play. Clippers center Chris Barry converted on a uncontested layup as time expired to give his team a 58-56 victory.

In the season finale of the River Rival action, Newburyport and Amesbury did not disappoint playing an emotional, hard fought yet clean barn-burner at the Nock School in Newburyport.

Playing with poise in the final quarter, the home-side favorite Clippers | headed to state tournament with a 12-7 record after one more game with St. Clement Monday | got the best of the Indians for a 4-point victory, 47-43.

Thanks to a fourth quarter rally at Triton Regional High School last night, the Newburyport Clippers clinched a tournament berth by out-dueling the Triton Vikings, 55-42.

The contest was a defensive battle throughout, but the Clippers proved to be the better team by hitting jump shots and nailing timely free throws.

HAMILTON | Supposedly, freshman point guard Michael Carter-Williams had an off-shooting night during a Hamilton-Wenham game last week.

Try telling that to Newburyport, who saw first hand what can happen when the Generals' sophomore sharpshooter gets in a groove.

One more to go.

That seems to be the adage for team's in the same position as the Newburyport's boys basketball squad (9-6). Last night at the Newburyport high school, a well rested Clipper team out-worked the visiting Lynnfield Pioneers when it mattered most and came away with a hard-fought 66-56 victory, pushing them to the threshold of tournament eligibility.

Numbers, especially records, don't always tell the whole truth.

Such was the case last evening when Newburyport (6-4) hosted North Andover (6-3).

However, one look at the degree of difficulty of the Scarlet Knights' three losses | a one-point loss to No. 17 ranked Wilmington, a 14-point loss to No. 2 ranked Central Catholic, and a seven-point loss to New Hampshire's No. 2 ranked team, Salem | proved the visitors had a more difficult road to six wins. After all, the three losses came to teams with a combined record of 19-1.

Back on track thanks to a more efficient offense, the Newburyport boys basketball team ended a three-game losing streak with a 58-54 victory over previously-undefeated Georgetown.

Midway through the third quarter with the Clippers up 36-32 and the Royals trading baskets, Newburyport big man Chris Barry began to take over. He scored 11 of the Clippers' next 13 points and was dominant on the boards stretching all the way into the fourth quarter.

Strong defense limited Newburyport to just nine field goals as Pentucket took the Greater Haverhill Tourney consolation game, 45-31.

The Clippers struggled from the foul line, hitting just 10 of 27 attempts, allowing the Sachems to ease to a 13-point lead after three periods and coast to victory.